Source: Gasgoo
According to foreign media reports, on December 16, Alphabet’s self-driving subsidiary Waymo announced that it will begin testing its self-driving cars in the Japanese capital of Tokyo in early 2025. Entering the Japanese market is Waymo’s first step in international expansion and marks Waymo’s first foray into the right-hand-drive market.
Image Source: Waymo
Waymo has not yet committed to commercial service in Tokyo, but Waymo will partner with Japan’s largest taxi operator Nihon Kotsu and taxi app GO to begin testing Jaguar I-PACE self-driving cars on Tokyo streets.
Initially, Nihon Kotsu drivers will manually operate Waymo vehicles to map key areas of Tokyo, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chuse, Shinagawa, and Krona. This data from the driver’s manual driving test will help train Waymo’s AI system. Waymo will also test its self-driving taxis on closed U.S. roads by simulating Japanese driving conditions. Waymo said this is the first phase of the partnership and will last for several quarters.
“Waymo’s self-driving taxi testing in Tokyo will give Waymo the opportunity to work with local partners, government officials and community groups in Japan to understand how to serve Tokyo residents and become a beneficial part of the Japanese urban transportation ecosystem,” Waymo said in a statement.
Waymo and Nihon Kotsu said that Nihon Kotsu will oversee the management and service of Waymo’s autonomous vehicles in Japan.
Waymo announced a series of expansion plans in the United States in 2024. Earlier this month, the company announced that it will test a new self-driving taxi in Miami in the United States in 2025. Waymo launched its self-driving taxi service in Los Angeles in November. In September, the company announced plans to expand to the U.S. cities of Austin and Atlanta in partnership with Uber.
According to research by the World Economic Forum, the Japanese government sees driverless technology as a potential boon in an aging population. Tokyo has designated certain areas as “test zones” for autonomous vehicles, hoping to speed up the arrival of a safe, driverless transportation system.
Several developers are currently working on autonomous vehicles in Japan, including local startup Tier IV and robotics company ZMP. ZMP is currently testing self-driving delivery vehicles and buses in Tokyo. In addition, Monet Technologies, which focuses on providing autonomous mobility service solutions, announced earlier this year that it plans to test autonomous taxi services in the Odaiba area of Tokyo.
